Apparatus for the manufacture of gas



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H. W. BROOKS.

A APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS. No. 358,378. v Patented Feb. 22, 1887.

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v H. W. BROOKS. APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OPGAS'. No. 358,378. Patented Feb. 22, 1887.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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I H; W. BROOKS. I I APPARATUS PORTHE MANUFACTURE OF GAS. N01. 358,378.

Patented Feb. 22.'-1s87;

h Uivirnn STATES PAr'ENr Gretna.

HENRY W. BROOKS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,378, dated February 22, 1887.

Application filed April 13, 1886. Serial No.198,743. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the ManufactureofIlluminating and Heating Gas; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the manufacture of steam and oil gas for fuel and for illuminating purposes.

The objects of the invention are to produce an apparatus which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, and by which a fixed gas may be produced; to supply means whereby steam and oil or other liquid hydrocarbon may be finely-divided in order to present the mixture in a finely-divided condition, in minute particles and in small quantities at a time, to the hottest portions of the retorts,

thereby more perfectly to vaporize the mixture and cause it to blend into afiXed and uniform gas of great purity and of any desired richness and candle-power, according to the relative quantity of oil supplied to the steam;

to arrange and utilize the conduits through which the hydrocarbons pass when being subjected to heat in such manner that the maximum extent of surface desirable as a fixing-- retort shall be presented and afforded; and, finally, to produce a retort in sections and of such construction that any one part may be removed without disturbing'the others.

With these objects in view the invention consists in an apparatus comprising an inlet for oil and an inlet for steam, retorts consist vided with devices for atomizing the hydrocarbon, composed of cylindrical tubes having perforated sides and having the inlet end of such diameter or size as to fit the pipe closely, thus causing all the gas-producing substances which pass through the retort to enter the disintegrators, be atomized,and dashed in a finely divided or comminutcd condition against the sides of the retort.

I have illustrated the invention in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a bench arranged in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a sectional plan view showing the form and arrangement of my improved retorts; Fig. 3, a detail view showing a few sections of my improved retort; Fig. 4., a sectional view of the disintegrator, and Fig. 5 a plan view showing a modified form of retort.

In the drawings, A represents a pipe, through which oil dcscends,preferably from an elevated reservoir, and is carried into the retort by the combined action of gravity and the suction caused by the passage through the retorts of the substance to be vaporized. 1

B represents a pipe leading from a suitable steam-generator, and which joins the pipe A at a point, a, where an injector of any desirable construction may be placed, so that the oil and steam which are admitted in suitable quantitles are thoroughly mixed, and pass downward through the lower portion of the pipe B in a thoroughly commingled state. From the lower portion of the pipe B a number of branch pipes, 0, lead to the retorts.

Theletter D represents myimproved retorts. These consist of the sections d, arranged at right angles to the front of the retort, and the sections (1, arranged parallel thereto. The sections are connected by suitable elbow-j oints, in order to form a serpentine passage, through which the commingled steam and oil vapor, or what has become gas, will pass. Each of the sections d is providedwith a cylinder, E, closed at its projecting end and perforated to act as a distributer and disintegrator. The cylinders have formed upon or attached to their inlet ends screw-threaded rings 6, which are turned into corresponding screw-threads formed upon the interior of sections (1 of the retort. As just said, the ends of the cylinders opposite the in- IOO lets are closed, and the sides are provided with perforations, and these are situated a short distance apart and so arranged as to present the commingled steam and oil to the sides of the retort in a finely-divided condition.

Although I have particularly described the retort as being made up of the sections joined at their ends, it is obvious that, when desired, they may be cast in sections forming longitudinal halves, and be secured together by bolts passing through flanges formed upon the sections. Vhen the retorts are made in this way, the distributers or disintegrators may be set in and held in suitable position by bolting the sections together.

After the oil and steam have passed through the retorts and become a fixed gas, this enters the return-pipes F F, by which it is conducted to the outlet-pipes G or G through a water or any other suitable seal, and thence to a gasoineter or other suitable situation.

I have found that the form of retort already described-that is, one having a serpentine passage through it-is best adapted for m akin g a fixed gas; but in the treatment of substances more easily converted a straight retort, like that shown in Fig. 5, provided with disintegrater-cylinders, may be employed.

By my device the steam and oil are divided into the finest possible particles mechanically, and are most intimately commingled, first by the force of their initial contact, and, secondly, by their united passage through the disintegrating-cy1inders and forcible contact with the sides of the retort.

The dashing of the finely divided steam against the heated surface makes it dust-dry, and it slakes itself with the oil. There is a regular decomposition and recoinposition by mechanical and chemical action, the mechanical means being as intense and effective as possible to facilitate the chemical action. The recornposition is rendered stable by long heating of the compound in the circuitous course it takes through the retorts and treatment at the bends, where it is again and again dashed against the pipe, thus frequently remixing and insuring to the last extreme action upon any particles that may have escaped.

The successive atomizing and consequent frequent presentation of the commingled substances in a finely-divided state against the heated inner faces of the retorts attained by my device are of very great advantage, as in this manner a fixed gas can readily and with certainty be produced from steam and oil.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus for converting hydrocarbons into a fixed gas, retorts having aserpentine passage and provided with disintegrators which fill the passage at the place of their situation and so compel passage through them of all the material under treatment, substantial] y as described.

2. In a gas apparatus, the pipe-like retort made in sections joined at angles to each other and provided with the disi ntegrators, substantially as described.

3. In a gas apparatus, the retort made in sections joined at angles to each other and provided with distributors or disintegrators filling the passage at the place of their situation, and consisting of cylinders screwed into the sections and having perforations in their sides, substantially as described.

4. In a gas apparatus,the combination of the oil and steam inlet pipesjoined and provided with an injector at their point ofjuncture, branch pipes, retorts united to the gas-pipes and consisting of sections placed at angles to each other and provided with disintegrators, and the return-pipes, substantiallyas described.

5. In a gas apparatus, a tubular or pipelike retort provided with internal distributing-cylinders having perforated sides, substantially as described.

6. In a gas apparatus, a retort provided with cylinders partly filling the interior and provided with perforations in their sides, whereby the substances to be converted into gas are presented to the heated faces of the retorts in a finely-divided state.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY \V. BROOKS.

Witnesses:

R. G. DYRENFORTH, W. N. MORTIMER. 

